


Advisor to the Prince(s)

by Cumberbatch Critter (ivelostmyspectacles)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Baking, Domestic Fluff, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, M/M, Ravus as a Party Member, does this even count as fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-07
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2019-01-30 17:19:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12657987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivelostmyspectacles/pseuds/Cumberbatch%20Critter
Summary: “Those are from Tenebrae.”Despite himself, Ignis startled slightly at Ravus’s voice. “Indeed. I’ve been trying to recreate them for Noct since his stay with your family, but I’ve yet to master the recipe.”[1/3 EDIT: NOW WITH FANART!!]





	Advisor to the Prince(s)

It seemed that he had an admirer.

Ignis struggled to pay no mind to the elder Nox Fleuret, but he still smiled as he pressed the dough into the muffin tin. It was a slow day, and he had been afforded the time to try his hand at Noctis’s favorite pastries again. Hopefully this attempt would prove more fruitful.

Ravus was welcome to watch if he liked.

It was a tedious process, but Ignis enjoyed the challenge. One day, he would perfect it.

He pricked the bottoms of each of the uncooked tarts to avoid collecting steam. Ravus came into the kitchen for something to drink and lingered at the fridge. For a moment, Ignis thought he might say something, but then he merely closed the fridge and left.

He spooned the berry compote into the pastry. Ravus came into the kitchen to throw away something and dallied in leaving. Ignis was about to speak when he finally strode away, going back to the couch to sit down.

He tasted the custard and decided it needed more sugar. Probably, it wasn’t the custard at all that was causing Noctis’s constant strings of ‘no’s’, but he had tried every fruit he had come upon so far in the compote, so he had few options on what to try next.

“Those are from Tenebrae.”

Despite himself, Ignis startled slightly at Ravus’s voice. He had been so focused he hadn’t noticed him come back into the kitchen this time. “Indeed. I’ve been trying to recreate them for Noct since his stay with your family, but I’ve yet to master the recipe.”

Ravus stopped at his shoulder, surveying the spread before him. “A pastry we are familiar with.” Reluctantly, he continued. “Lunafreya and I did create them once, although I don’t recall the process. Or the ingredients.”

“Ah.” Ignis smiled, surprised and amused in turns. He could picture young Lunafreya talking her older brother into baking the sweet without telling him of the difficulties of it. “Well, just as well,” he continued. “It’s become something of a pet project. I’ll figure it out on my own, eventually.”

“An impressive feat.”

“I’m not sure about that.” A side glance at him. “It’ll be all the more satisfying to finally perfect it for Noct, though.” Sliding the drawer open, he plucked another spoon from the organizer. “Since you’re familiar with these…” He scooped up a spoonful of the custard cream and held it out to Ravus. “Indulge me a moment.”

An arched eyebrow at the proffered dessert, and Ravus pursed his lips. Then he reached up to take the spoon from Ignis and put the bite of custard into his mouth. A moment of tasting, and then he swallowed. His expression was unreadable as usual. His words, however…

“You’re an accomplished chef.”

The surprise gave way to genuine delight; he had been expecting the man to be overly critical, and this was the first time he was sharing these pastries with someone who hailed from the kingdom. Slightly nerve-wracking, that. “High praise from the high commander?”

“Jokes are not precisely in my repertoire.”

He smiled, taking the spoon back from Ravus. “I have noticed.” He dropped it in the sink and went to preheat the oven.

“The kitchen staff at Fenestala would be impressed.”

 _Very_ high praise. Ignis’s fingers stalled on the temperature knob for a moment. He wasn’t doing this for that kind of praise, but it was _nice_. Praise from the prince of Lucis and the former prince of Tenebrae both. That was an embarrassment of riches, truly. “Thank you. Although I’m afraid my position stays with Noct,” he joked, flashing an amused look at the commander as he came back. “If you’re thinking about recruiting cooks.”

Ravus, Ignis had learned, didn’t smile often. But there was a smirk tugging at the edges of his lips every now and again, and he was presented with that very twitch of the lips now. “One could hardly argue, given the Chosen King would be incompetent without you.”

“I don’t know about _that_ ,” he reprimanded softly, and Ravus only hummed a note of disinterest before he fell silent to watch Ignis work.

Ignis wasn’t certain if the man was interested in baking, or merely interested in a reminder of his homeland while so far away from it, but he lingered in the kitchen even while the pastries were in the oven, and he was back to looking over his shoulder when he removed them from it.

His mistake was turning away to collect the icing sugar and the sifter. When he turned back, Ravus had already swiped a pastry from the tray. “Ravus, they’re–”

The look that crossed the man’s face was neither subtle nor satisfying, although Ignis credited him for not spitting the hot bite of pastry, berries, and custard out.

“– hot,” he sighed. “You’re as bad as Noct.”

Ravus swallowed, and coughed softly. “That is insulting.”

Hiding his own laugh behind clearing his throat, Ignis stepped forward to put the sifter and sugar down. “Do you want me to plate that?”

“No.” Ravus took the pastry and strode out of the kitchen.

Now he _really_ couldn’t swallow a chuckle. Really, Ravus and Noctis weren’t _too_ dissimilar, whatever the high commander wanted to think.

“… Much obliged, Scientia.” Ravus had paused just outside of the doorway. His shoulders were back, spine ramrod straight, but he glanced slightly back towards Ignis. He sounded awkward. He was practically _oozing_ it. “It truly is reminiscent of Tenebrae.”

“Have I perfected it yet, then?” The way that Noct remembered it might not match with Ravus’s opinion, but he was curious what the older man thought. He _came_ from Tenebrae. He had grown up with these pastries, as it were.

Sly, sarcastic, quietly, gleefully devious. He continued to surprise him. “Hardly. It will require more practice, if I’m not mistaken.”

Very much more alike than Ravus seemed to think, Ignis thought, laughing to himself as the former prince of Tenebrae continued down the hall.

**Author's Note:**

> I like the idea of party member Ravus? and now I'm... kind of shipping Fleurentia? There's something intriguing there *eyes emoji*
> 
> I just love the mental image of Ravus watching over Ignis's shoulder jigoerkg I gotta get someone to draw this for me one day *descends into rarepair hell*
> 
> [Also my good friend midorin and I did a trade and she graciously drew fanart for this fic!! You can find it here!!](http://midori-n.tumblr.com/post/169259866538/part-of-an-art-trade-w-my-pal-ivelostmyspectacles)


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